Moment After Moment
by theamck
Summary: Tommy does his best to woo Barbara and win her over.


Moment after Moment

Tommy was as good as his word. There were two big Broadway musicals playing in London, and he not only got the tickets, but made sure she had the cds. "Oh, Tommy," she said with the first one in her hands. "This will sound so great on your high-powered stereo." And laughed joyfully when he turned pale, muttering that he thought she would play it in her car. "It's so easy to get you!" He had to laugh – it WAS easy for her.

The following week, they went to the opera, and he was thrilled when she gripped his hand tightly and wept as Mimi died, and the next day he agreed to watch "Moonstruck" with her, to see how "La Boheme" affected Cher. The next time they went, she was so furious at Pinkerton for his treatment of Butterfly; she went on all the way home about his "arrogance, his callousness!" He began to think he had perhaps underrated Italian operas, having been a Wagnerian most of his life.

When they had leave, they went down to Cornwall, where Barbara came to see that Lady Asherton really did welcome her to the house and to the family. One day, she came down alone to breakfast and told Lady A that "the squire has gone out to survey his holdings."  
"The squire? What does Tommy say to that?" asked his mother, laughing. "Barbara, I certainly understand why he loves you! You don't let him get away with being pompous." Barbara grinned. "I try," she said modestly.

In town, they went to good ethnic restaurants where she didn't have to worry about forks and spoons. And every night, they went home to the flat on Eaton Terrace And to his bed.

At work, whenever they were in the office, he asked her out to lunch, and she couldn't help liking that he didn't take it for granted but would ask. They continued to work, quite brilliantly, at solving murders. Whenever they left the building,, if they weren't on a case, he'd put his hand on her back, guiding her gently, and there was no one on that floor who didn't notice, and no one on other floors who didn't hear the gossip.. Chief Superintendent Hillier finally called them into his office to ask "what the hell is going on with you two?" Barbara held back, but Tommy took her hand. "I'm in love with her," he said, looking directly at the Superintendent, "and working on getting her to marry me."

Hillier looked stunned. "This is not a joke?" This time it was Barbara who answered shyly, "not a joke."

"Well, you can't go on working together, you're becoming too much of a distraction in the office." He looked at Barbara. "So it's time for you to tell him that you passed your Inspector exams a year ago. And to take the next opening….which should be occurring within a month." He didn't have to say "Dismissed!" It was explicit.

In the hallway, Tommy controlled himself and just raised an eyebrow. "Yes," she said, "and it's simple. I wasn't ready to give up working with you."

"And now?"

She shrugged. "Well, since I go home with you almost every night, I think I can give up being your sergeant."

He pulled her close. "To be my wife?" She wriggled out of his embrace.

"To be an inspector," she said briskly. "You have a lot to teach me. Can I have Winston?"

"You want me to give up both of you?" He smiled, sighed. "I may have to take the Chief job they've offered. . You see, my love, I didn't want to stop working with you either." He waggled a finger at her, "Maybe I'll still be your boss." She groaned, but they went back to his office in good spirits. These days, they were too happy with one another to even entertain negative thoughts.

That last month, Barbara was supposed to finish up all the paper work she'd neglected for months, and with all of that, plus the inspector course she was obligated to take, she had very little time to take on new cases with Tommy, to do the work she enjoyed. She prevailed on Winston Nkata to finish the sergeant class he'd taken on and off, as he had agreed to leave Lynley and move on with her. She had her eye on a young woman constable who seemed bright and eager, and she found herself looking forward to the promotion, less nervous than she'd always feared. Was she ready for changes in her life – and, if so, how many?

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End file.
